How to deal with adolescent health problems

The core logic of dealing with adolescent health problems is the collaboration of family, school, and medical care, and the three-dimensional simultaneous intervention of physical health, mental health, and social adaptability. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and the direction must be adjusted to suit each child's growth environment and personality characteristics.

This is not just a slogan. The 14-year-old boy Xiaoyu I met at the community youth health station last year is the most typical example. The boy had just entered the second grade of junior high school. He was 1.82 meters tall and weighed 197 pounds. The parents’ initial thoughts Very straightforward: The health problem is that he is fat. He signed up for swimming classes and basketball personal trainers, and watched him eat fat-reducing meals every day. As a result, he did not lose 2 pounds in two months. Instead, the child began to skip school and went to the Internet cafe to stay up all night. The parents had no choice but to find us. We talked to the child three times before we got to the bottom of it. He became fat after graduating from elementary school. His classmates in junior high school nicknamed him "Fat Dun". He is already sensitive. The basketball class his parents enrolled in has several classmates from the same school. Every time he goes to class, he feels like others are laughing behind his back. He makes excuses every time he moves. He hid in the toilet, and when he got home, his parents would complain about him for eating too much and not being self-disciplined. He would break cans, secretly save money to buy late-night snacks, and use his mobile phone when he couldn't sleep. His myopia increased by 200 degrees in half a year, and he couldn't concentrate in class. The class teacher thought he was deliberately rebelling against the teacher.

In fact, the industry still often debates on the priority of intervention. Most public health researchers believe that basic screening must be laid first, and screening for myopia, scoliosis, depression and anxiety should be included in the annual physical examination of students. Early detection and early intervention are always right.； However, many front-line class teachers will find it a headache. They already have heavy academic tasks, including health check-ins, health-themed class meetings, and various screening data statistics. In the end, it becomes an extra burden for parents and children, and may even cause conflicts. Both of these statements are actually reasonable. The core point is whether the intervention can be done in a silent and moisturizing way, and don’t label the child as “unhealthy” or “problematic” right from the start.

Our station is now cooperating with middle schools in the jurisdiction. Every Wednesday afternoon, during the last class, we go to the playground to open a "healthy grocery store". Instead of giving lectures, we put out gadgets such as Frisbees, balance boards, and stress-reducing kneading toys. Children can come and play if they want. During the play, our school doctors and on-site psychological counselors will join in the fun and chat about whether they have encountered anything bad recently and whether they have any problems. If your neck hurts and your eyes are sore, and if a child complains about being unable to sleep or not wanting to go to school, we will not tell you that you need psychological counseling. Instead, we will chat with you about your favorite games and the high school you want to go to, and then quietly mention to the parents and class teacher that you should pay more attention to your child's condition recently and don't put too much pressure on him. On the contrary, the effect will be much better than forcing the child to take an assessment.

To put it bluntly, the health of teenagers is like the orange tree that has just sprouted in the yard. You can't just focus on whether the leaves are turning yellow or whether there are insects. You have to check whether the soil is not loose enough, watering too much or too little, and whether there are other big trees around blocking the sun. If you just pull the leaves and prune them, the root problems will not be solved, and it will still turn yellow in a short time. I have been engaged in youth health intervention for almost 7 years. I have encountered too many examples of small problems turning into big troubles. Most of them only focus on visible indicators at the beginning and ignore the small signals hidden in the children's emotions. You really don't need to be too anxious about whether you should make up for this or practice that. Sit down more and listen to what your children have to say. Comparing how many classes you sign up for and how many screenings you do will work.